Methods and apparatus for ultra-violet stimulated displays

ABSTRACT

A display element for use in a display device that exhibits extended illumination longevity and uniformity, as well as a wide viewing angle, is provided. The element can include a light source that emits ultraviolet light, a liquid crystal device having a plurality of independently controllable (i.e., addressable) shutters, a screening element between the light source and the liquid crystal device, a plurality of luminescent elements optically aligned with the shutters, and a regulated power supply. Display devices, calibration techniques, and power management methods are also provided.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/133,733, filed Apr. 29, 2002, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/416,333, filed Oct. 12, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No.6,430,605, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 09/315,111, filed May 18, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,424,998,which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/301,102, filed Apr. 28, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,430,603, and claimspriority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/382,623, filedMay 24, 2002, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in theirentireties.

BACKGROUND

The invention relates to the display of video or still image content onelectronic display devices. More particularly, the invention relates toluminescent-type displays that are ultraviolet light stimulated,networks that include such displays, such as electronic billboards orelectronic digital movie displays, and related systems that permitdisplay of content on selected displays according to customer dictates.

-   1. Electronic Display Devices

Liquid crystal displays are well known, but applications of thesedevices are still plagued by a variety of problems, including limitedviewing angle, longevity, and manufacturing cost. For example, Crosslandet al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,285,345 describes a liquid crystal display thatincludes a light source that produces activation light at apredetermined narrow range of UV wavelengths, a collimator for directingthe activation light in parallel in a predetermined direction, a LC cellformed from an array of pixels, a photoluminescent screen on the cellarranged to emit a visible output when struck by the narrow-bandexcitation light passing through the cell, and a drive circuit foraddressing the LC cell in a multiplexed manner. According to Crosslandet al., the direction of light and the thickness of the cell are chosento give the best contrast ratio for the liquid cell. Crossland et al.does not address the problem of light source failure and illuminationnonuniformity across the screen.

Filters for liquid crystal displays are also known. For example, Hondaet al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,851,700 shows a filter that has a light diffusingplate formed from a film containing at least two photopolymerizableoligomers or monomers. According to Honda et al., “[w]hen the filter isfitted to a light emitting side of a liquid crystal display device, anangle of view of the liquid crystal display face plane is widened,shadows due to opaque parts of the device are reduced, and a Moirefringe is hardly formed” (Abstract). Honda et al. also does not addresslight source failures that can shorten the lifespan of the device norillumination nonuniformity that can adversely affect a viewingexperience.

Moreover, high efficiency fluorescent lamp devices are known thatinclude UV stimulated phosphors. For example, Armstrong et al. U.S. Pat.No. 5,502,626 shows a lamp that includes a UV light source (i.e., amercury arc producing tube) within an enclosure that excites a phosphorcoating applied to an interior surface of the enclosure. Armstrong etal. provides geometric formations on the interior surface to increasethe oblique surface area to increase the amount of phosphor withoutusing a thick coating. Still, Armstrong et al. does not address lightsource failure and illumination nonuniformities.

Thus, there is a need for electronic display devices that provide a wideviewing angle, an extended longevity, and minimal illuminationnonuniformities.

-   2. Advertising/Billboards

Consumer product advertising takes many forms, such as televisioncommercials, newspaper and magazine advertisements, mailings,point-of-sale displays, outdoor billboards, etc. Using currentadvertising media, advertisers engage in a constant struggle toefficiently use their budgets to effectively reach their geographic anddemographic targets.

Focusing on the outdoor advertising component of advertising by consumerproduct companies, it is well known that outdoor billboards havetraditionally taken the form of single-message displays formed ofprinted sheets or painted surfaces containing the advertising contentadhered to a flat backing. This time-honored outdoor advertisingtechnique has remained essentially unchanged throughout the twentiethcentury. The high cost of printing, transporting, and mounting a messageon a conventional billboard has dictated that the same message remain inplace for a considerable period of time. Thus, a conventional billboardcannot be readily be changed to reflect current events within thegeographical area of the billboard.

Additionally, the content on a conventional billboard tends to becomeessentially “invisible” as a part of the landscape after its content hasbeen in place for a relatively short period of time, especially tocommuters and others who regularly pass the billboard. Beyond the aboveproblems with cost, single-message content, lack of content changeovercapability, and the like, conventional outdoor billboards have comeunder increasing criticism because in their large numbers, and oftentattered condition, they clutter highways with a distasteful form ofvisual “pollution”. A reduction in the number of billboards andimprovement of the appearance of those that remain, if accomplishedwhile increasing the overall advertising impact afforded by outdooradvertising, would please virtually everyone.

The use of electronic billboards has been suggested, for example, inU.S. Pat. No. 5,612,741. However, applicants lack of no electronicbillboard network in operation whereby commercial advertisers maydirectly place ads onto selected billboards at selected times throughdirect access to a master network. Such a network, properly designed andoperated, promises to overcome the numerous disadvantages currentlyassociated with the outdoor advertising industry, while also meeting theabove needs of consumer products advertisers.

-   3. Distribution and Display of Movies at Movie Theaters

For virtually the entire twentieth century the practice of distributingmovies on film reels to movie theaters has gone fundamentally unchanged.As is well known, movie content is stored on large reels of film, one ormore copies of which must be physically transported to each movietheater where the movie will be shown. The films are bulky, heavy, andexpensive to reproduce and ship to movie theaters. Films also show wearand eventually must be removed from use. Obviously, a movie theater'sability to show a particular movie is subject to the film reels beingphysically present at the proper time. Thus, substantial lead time mustbe provided anytime a movie theater operator is preparing the schedulefor his screen(s).

In addition to the above problems inherent in the current moviedistribution scheme, the high cost of conventional film reel moviedistribution results in most movies not going to full distribution. Inthis regard, the full distribution of a movie (e.g., the cost of filmreels and their transportation) can cost four to five million dollars ormore. As a related problem, the cost of making film reels of oldermovies, particularly non-“blockbuster” movies, which are available on anongoing basis is prohibitive. Thus, theater owners and movie goers aredeprived of movie theater screening for the vast majority of availablemovie content because the movies are not in current distribution.Moreover, content providers (e.g., Disney, Warner Brothers, etc.) aredeprived of the revenue from the movies for which ongoing, continuousdistribution is simply too expensive.

Thus, there is a need for a new movie distribution system that willovercome the above shortcomings of current movie distribution practices.

SUMMARY

Consistent with one aspect of the present invention, a display elementfor use in a display device that exhibits a wide viewing angle, extendedlongevity, and which improves illumination uniformity can be provided.The element can include at least a first light source that emitsultraviolet light, a liquid crystal device having a plurality ofindependently controllable (i.e., addressable) shutters, a screeningelement between the light source and the liquid crystal device, and aplurality of luminescent elements optically aligned with the lightsource and each of the shutters, wherein each of the luminescentelements absorbs at least some of the ultraviolet light and converts itto visible light.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a display devicecan be provided that can include a plurality of light sources that eachemits ultraviolet light, a plurality of independently controllableshutters, a plurality of luminescent elements optically aligned with thelight source and each of the shutters, wherein each of the luminescentelements can absorb at least some of the ultraviolet light and convertit to visible light, and a regulated power supply for supplying power tothe light source. The device can further include a screen between thelight source and the liquid crystal device.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a system canbe provided that permits display content (e.g., video or still imagecontent) to be displayed on selected ones of multiple, networkedelectronic displays at selected times according to dictates of thecustomers of the system.

According to one embodiment of the invention, commercial advertisers,such as consumer product companies and the advertising agents thatrepresent them, can directly access a network of multiple, large, highresolution electronic displays located in high traffic areas anddirectly send their own advertisements electronically to the network tobe displayed at locations and times selected by the advertisers. In oneparticular embodiment, the invention can include a central informationprocessing center that permits customers to review a schedule of timesand electronic display locations that are available for placement ofadvertisements, and permits customers to purchase available time slotsat selected electronic display locations for placement of theiradvertising content. A customer can then transmit advertising content tothe processing center where the content is reviewed for appropriatenessand transmitted to one or more customer-selected electronic displays.

In some embodiments, the electronic display devices are large (e.g.,23×33½ ft.) flat LED display devices that are driven by dedicated videoor image servers. Verification that the advertisements run as orderedcan be facilitated by an information storage module or by a digitalcamera or series of digital cameras. A traffic counter may be used todetermine the traffic that passed by the display while the advertisementwas running. Bills and reports containing market and demographicanalysis can be generated and sent to the customer.

In another illustrative embodiment of the invention, operators ofdigital movie theaters have ongoing, continuous access to tens ofthousands of movies that can be ordered in digital form for display onselected “screens” at their theaters at selected times. The movietheater operator is a customer of a system that permits the customer toreview movies that are available in digital form and thereafter scheduleand purchase a movie for display on the digital movie screens located atthe customer's movie theater.

The movies can be transmitted by the system to the movie theateroperators by a number of transmission modes, including a satelliteuplink/downlink system that transmits movie content in non-real time(allowing faster transmission speeds) in encoded digital format, with adecoder at the movie theater to protect against piracy. The system caninclude means for generating bills to the customers and forwarding thebills for debit payment. The system may also include means forgenerating royalty payment information for use in paying the contentproviders for the display of their movies.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other advantages of the invention will be apparent uponconsideration of the following detailed description, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like referencecharacters refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 shows an illustrative display element consistent with thisinvention;

FIG. 2 shows an illustrative display device consistent with thisinvention;

FIG. 3 shows an illustrative block diagram showing the principalcomponents of a system for advertising consistent with this invention;

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of another illustrative electronicdisplay that can be used, as shown in FIG. 1, consistent with thisinvention;

FIG. 5 shows an illustrative simplified report for an advertisementprovided to a single display consistent with this invention;

FIG. 6 shows an illustrative simplified report for an advertisementprovided to multiple consistent with this invention;

FIG. 7 shows a block diagram with principal components of anillustrative system for distributing digital movie content, including tomovie theatres, consistent with this invention;

FIG. 8 shows a block diagram of another illustrative system foradvertising consistent with this invention;

FIG. 9 shows an illustrative roadway-adjacent electronic display deviceon which an advertiser can place advertisements through a networkedsystem consistent with this invention; and

FIG. 10 shows an illustrative point-of-purchase electronic displaydevice on which an advertiser can place advertisements that are relatedto the ones displayed on device shown in FIG. 9, for example, consistentwith this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows an illustrative display element 10 consistent with thisinvention for use in an electronic display device. It will beappreciated that the physical dimensions shown in FIG. 1 are not toscale and are in some cases exaggerated for illustrative clarity.

Element 10 includes at least a first light source 15 that emitsultraviolet light 20, a liquid crystal device 25 having a plurality ofindependently controllable (i.e., addressable) shutters 30 and 35, ascreening element 40 between light source 15 and a liquid crystal device25, and a plurality of luminescent elements 45 and 50 that are opticallyaligned with shutters 30 and 35, respectively. During operation, each ofelements 45 and 50 absorbs at least some of ultraviolet light 20 andconverts it to visible light 60.

Light source 15 can be, for example, any ultraviolet light emittingdiode (hereinafter, “LED”). Typically, an LED is a device that emitsoptical radiation when biased in the forward direction. In oneembodiment, the LED can be made from a material, such as asemiconductor, having a band gap that is greater than about 2 eV. Asdescribed more fully below, examples of materials that have such a bandgap include gallium nitride, aluminum nitride, gallium indium nitride,and other such alloys (such as one sold under the trademark MEGABRIGHT™,available as part no. C395-MB290-E400 from Cree, Inc., of Durham, N.C.).

Although any ultraviolet light-emitting solid-state material can be usedin accordance with this invention, there are two primary classes ofultraviolet light-emitting solid-state materials, including nitrides(In_(1-x-y)Al_(x)Ga_(y)N compounds) and zinc chalcogenides(ZnS_(1-x)Se_(x); other cations, such as cadmium, can also beincorporated).

The nitrides can be formulated to emit at any desired wavelength betweenabout 200 nm and about 400 nm by adjusting the values of x and yappropriately. The zinc chalcogenides can also be formulated to emit atany desirable wavelength between about 350 nm and about 450 nm range byadjusting the value of x and depending on the substituted cation. Thenitrides are sometimes better suited to excite phosphors that havemaximum absorption in the shorter wavelength range; the zincchalcogenides are sometimes better suited for phosphors that absorb atlonger wavelengths. Zinc fluoride doped with gadolinium (i.e., ZnF₂:Gd),which has a narrow emission band at 311 nm, can also be used consistentwith this invention to produce relatively short-wavelength light that iswell matched to the absorption bands of a number of phosphors.

Generally, an appropriate solid-state ultraviolet light source can bechosen to stimulate previously selected luminescent elements, orphosphor compounds. It will be appreciated that the ultraviolet lightsource should be chosen such that its peak wavelength is near the peakabsorption wavelength of the phosphor compound. When a single source isused to illuminate multiple color phosphor compounds, each of thephosphor compounds can have a similar ultraviolet light peak absorptionwavelength.

In one embodiment, light source 15 is operated at substantially belowits rated capacity to extend its lifetime. In particular, the powersupplied to light source 15 can be less than 30% of its nominal powerrequirements. In this case, two or more LEDs can be aggregated to supplya desired ultraviolet light intensity at shutters 30 and 35. The lightsources can be aggregated, as described above, or distributed uniformlyor non-uniformly. When light sources are arranged to emit light over acommon area, the power supplied to each of the light sources can beautomatically adjusted using a closed-loop feedback scheme to provide asubstantially uniform intensity profile over shutters 30 and 35. Thus,one or more metrics, such as an electrical resistance of an LED or theemitted ultraviolet or visible light intensity, can be monitored andused as a feedback signal for adjusting the power supplied to one ormore LEDs.

For example, when an LED fails, its electrical resistance may abruptlychange or the intensity of ultraviolet light emitted may fall below anacceptable threshold level. If the power supplied to one or more LEDs iscontinuously or periodically monitored, the power can be increased orshifted to another LED to accommodate for the failed light source. Inanother embodiment, one or more light sources can be turned on whenother sources have failed or no longer meet certain minimum operatingcriteria. For example, in one control scheme, when a first light sourceis determined to have failed or operating at an unacceptably low level,a second light source can be automatically turned on to compensate forthe first light.

Although only two shutters (e.g., shutters 30 and 35) are shown in FIG.1, it will be appreciated that any number of shutters can be associatedwith a single light source. In particular, the stronger the light sourcethe more shutters it can illuminate.

Preferably, electroluminescent elements 45 and 50 are disposed on theviewer side of addressable shutters 30 and 35, respectively. Thisarrangement has the advantage that ultraviolet light will only beincident on luminescent elements 45 and 50 when those elements are inuse, which increases their useful lifetimes. Thus, each of shutters 30and 35 should have a variable transmissivity at the ultravioletwavelengths emitted by light source 15. In one embodiment, at leastthree shutters and at least three luminescent elements that luminesce atthree different colors (e.g., red, green, and blue) are associated witha single LED. If the LED is strong enough, two or more sets of three ormore shutters each can be used with respective sets of luminescentelements.

Consistent with this invention, a visible color can be generated byilluminating a single luminescent element or by forming a compositecolor by illuminating two or more adjacent luminescent elements. Two ormore visible colors can be mixed by simultaneously or sequentiallyilluminating the luminescent elements. When a composite color is formedby illuminating two or more luminescent elements sequentially, thatillumination sequence must be performed in a sufficiently short periodof time such that the human eye cannot distinguish individualluminescent events (e.g., less than about 1/30^(th) of a second, howeverthis depends on the amount of temporal compression, frame activity,etc.). For example, by sequentially illuminating a blue element and ared element for 1/60^(th) of a second each, a medium magenta can beformed. Different shades of magenta can also be formed by illuminatingblue and red elements with varying intensities of ultraviolet light ordifferent periods of time (e.g., illuminating a blue luminescent elementfor a first period of time and a red luminescent element for a differentperiod of time, such that the sum of the two periods is less than about1/30^(th) of a second).

Furthermore, it will be appreciated that both ultraviolet illuminationintensity and period can be varied to generate a wide range of colors.Moreover, the number of potential colors will increase with the numberof luminescent elements and the number of potential illuminationintensity settings and time period intervals.

Screening element 40 of display element 10 can be arranged between lightsource 15 and device 25 to diffuse ultraviolet light 20 to incident ondevice 25. Screening element can be used to diffuse ultraviolet 20 tomake it substantially more uniform across the surface of device 25.Preferably, screening element 40 can also collimate, or redirect,ultraviolet light 22 toward device 25, and particularly to itsconstituent shutters, to increase the intensity of ultraviolet light ateach shutter. It will be appreciated that if the screening element bothdiffuses and collimates, the screening element could include at leasttwo portions that perform each of the respective functions.

In one embodiment, luminescent elements 45 and 50 can be disposeddirectly on a viewer side of the liquid crystal device. Luminescentelements can include different luminescent materials that luminesce atdifferent colors, including a substantially white color (see, e.g., thematerials used to produce white light in Duggal et. al. U.S. Pat. No.6,294,800). It will be appreciated that the material used to form theluminescent elements can be, for example, a semiconductor, a phosphor, agas, a plasma, an organic pigment, an inorganic pigment, and anycombination thereof. Additional materials will be described more fullybelow with respect to display devices that can be built consistent withthis invention.

Thus, sources of blue, green, and red light at each pixel can becomposite devices that include an ultraviolet LED that excites aluminescent element that, in turn, produces light of a selectedspectrum. As described more fully below, the ultraviolet LED can beformed from a GaN or GaN-containing compound on sapphire with or withoutsuitable buffer layer, or a GaN or GaN-containing compound on SiC,preferably with a suitable buffer layer, or an AlN or AlN-containingcompound on AlN, sapphire, SiC or GaN, with or without a suitable bufferlayer.

In one embodiment, ultraviolet LEDs can be incorporated into threedifferent composite devices, each with a different luminescent elementfor producing blue, green, and red, respectively. In another embodiment,a luminescent element (e.g., a phosphor) can be selected to producewhite light and a desired color is produced by passing the white lightthrough a band pass filter. According to this white-light embodiment,filters of blue, green, and red may be used to create discrete compositedevices that produce blue, green, and red light at each pixel. The useof white light with appropriate band pass filters has the advantage ofproducing a colored light with an excellent wave length distributionthat will not change appreciably over time, a desirable property forcolor balancing. On the other hand, the use of three differentluminescent elements to directly produce blue, green, and red without afilter has the advantage of higher efficiency because light is notfiltered out. Both approaches have the advantage of excellentpersistence which, as known in the art, is a desirable feature that isespecially important in video applications, particularly digital movietheater applications that are discussed in more detail below.

Two broad categories of phosphor compounds that can be used consistentwith this invention are (1) rare-earth-activated compounds (e.g.,oxides, borates, phosphates, and silicates doped with europium, terbium,cerium, or gadolinium); and (2) metal-activated zinc compounds (e.g.,zinc chalcogenides doped with silver, copper, or aluminum). Therare-earth activated compounds have stronger absorption in theshort-wavelength range (typically <350 nm), and thus are well matchedwith nitride UV emitters (see below). The rare-earth activated compoundsalso tend to have a narrow range of emission wavelengths, since theemission is by the rare-earth ion. In many cases, the metal-activatedzinc compounds absorb well at longer wavelengths (>300 nm) and thus arewell matched with metal-activated zinc UV emitters. It will beappreciated, however, that either type of phosphor compound can bematched with either type of UV-emitter.

Illustrative examples of rare-earth-activated phosphors that can be usedconsistent with this invention are provided below. Examples ofrare-earth-activated phosphors that emit red light include: Y₂O₃:Eu,(Y,Gd)BO₃:Eu, (Y,Gd)PO₃:Eu, YVO₄:Eu, and Zn₂SiO₄:Eu. All of theseexamples emit a series of narrow visible bands between about 590 nm andabout 620 nm. Examples of rare-earth-activated phosphors that emit greenlight include: (Y,Gd)BO₃:Tb, LaPO₄:(Ce,Tb), (Ce,Tb)MgAl₁₁O₁₉,(Gd,Ce,Tb)MgB₅O₁₀Y₃Al₅O₁₂:Ce. The Tb-doped compounds emit a narrow bandof visible light at about 540 nm and the Ce-doped compounds emit anarrow band at about 550 nm. Examples of rare-earth-activated phosphorsthat emit blue light include: Y₂SiO₅:Ce, BaMgAl₁₀O₁₇:Eu, Sr₅(PO₄)₃Cl:Eu,and LaPO₄:Tm. The Ce-doped compounds have peak emission between about400 nm and about 450 nm. The Eu-doped and Tm-doped compounds have a peakemission at about 450 nm.

Illustrative examples of metal-activated phosphors that can be usedconsistent with this invention are provided below. Examples of metalactivated phosphors that emit green light include: ZnCdS:Ag, ZnS:Cu,Al,and Zn₂SiO₄:Mn, all of which emit light between about 520 nm and about560 nm. An example of a metal-activated phosphor that emits blue lightis ZnS:Ag, which has an emission peak at about 460 nm.

During luminescent element, or phosphor, selection, chromaticity shouldbe considered to ensure that the display device with a wide color range.Each visible color has a chromaticity (i.e., color coordinates), thatcorresponds to a location on the 1931 Commission Internationale del'Eclairage (“CIE”) chromaticity diagram. The chromaticity of a displaydevice can be controlled using phosphors that are saturated, that isphosphors that have the largest possible values of the color coordinatesx and y. Phosphors with narrow emission bands have more saturatedemission and, in some cases, may be preferred. Thus, consistent withanother aspect of this invention, the emission can be tuned in colorcoordinate space (or peak wavelength) by co-doping with two or morespecies in the oxide or chalcogenide host. The interaction of thedopants can reduce the emission width, thereby enhancing emissionsaturation.

Material processing and degradation effects should be considered whenselecting phosphors and constructing display devices consistent withthis invention. Inorganic phosphors, such as the ones identified above,generally have long working lifetimes and are less susceptible todegradation, when compared to organic materials such as laser dyes.

Inorganic phosphors can be deposited in several ways. A simple wayinvolves embedding small particles (e.g., between about 1 micron andabout 20 microns) in a polymer matrix. In a preferred embodiment, thepolymer host is reasonably transparent to UV light and relativelyimpervious to UV-induced degradation. Methyl, ethyl, and butylmethacrylates are suitable host materials. The phosphor layer can bedeposited by suspending the particles in a polymer solution,spin-coating or depositing using another standard solution depositiontechnique, and then baking the compound to drive off the solvent.

Another deposition technique involves suspending the particles in thepolymer precursor that can be polymerized in situ. Although thistechnique is simple to implement, films produced using this techniquecould have a number of disadvantages including: a lack of uniformity,relatively high surface roughness (which can lead to significantreflection, rather than absorption, of the incident UV light), and amore rapid degradation due to the lack of robustness of the polymerunder UV light and chemical attack.

When selecting phosphor compounds for use in display devices consistentwith this invention, the thickness and grain morphology of the phosphorsshould be considered, as well as the intrinsic absorption and emissionefficiency. In one embodiment, the phosphor coating should be thickenough to maximize absorption of the incident UV light, but thin enoughto maximize transmission of the emitted visible. This is because thickerphosphor coatings can enhance UV absorption at the expense of visiblelight transmission. Multiple scattering of the UV light can be desirablebecause it makes UV absorption more likely. Scattering can be enhancedusing even smaller particle sizes (e.g., about 3 microns). A preferredphosphor compound thickness appears to be between about 5 microns andabout 15 microns, and more preferably about 10 microns, or about threelayers.

Phosphors can also be deposited in thin-film form by sputtering orsolution deposition. Such films tend to be substantially uniform,smooth, and more impervious to degradation due to radiation and chemicalexposure. Their homogeneous physical structure, however, reduces theinternal scattering of the incident UV light and thus the efficiency ofthe absorption. The processing temperatures for oxide materials arehigher than those for chalcogenides.

It will be appreciated that energy sources other than ultraviolet LEDscan be used to excite the luminescent elements of the composite devicesdiscussed above.

In the case of low ambient lighting conditions, such as in digital movietheaters, lower power LEDs can be used. Higher power LEDs can be used toprovide a light source for an LCD shutter-type screen in high ambientlighting conditions.

Display element 10 can further include a regulated power supply forsupplying a regulated power level to light source 15. Regulated powersupply can include power source 70 and regulation circuit 75 coupled topower source 70 and light source 15.

Regulation circuit 75 can include photodetector 80, comparator circuit85, and controller 90. Photodetector 80 can detect a portion of theultraviolet light emitted from light source 15 and generate a firstsignal indicative of an intensity of the portion of ultraviolet light.Comparator circuit 85 has input 87 for receiving the first signal.Comparator circuit 85 can compare the first signal with a baselinesignal and generate a second signal that is proportional to thedifference between the first signal and the baseline signal. Controllercircuit 90 can have input 92 coupled to output 89 of comparator 85 forreceiving the second signal and output 94 for supplying a regulatedpower signal to light source 15.

In one embodiment, photodetector 80 is positioned such that the portionof detected ultraviolet light is a portion reflected from screeningelement 40. In another embodiment, photodetector 80 is positioned suchthat the portion of detected ultraviolet light reflects from some otherelement, such as a small ultraviolet mirror that is placed in front oflight source 15. In either case, photodetector can include a detectorthat detects the intensity of the ultraviolet light.

Photodetector 80 can be constructed from any other material that has arelatively low dark current and an acceptable D* value. D* is a valueused to designate the relative sensitivity of a detector. Generally, thehigher the D* value, the better the detector. For example, siliconcarbide, especially silicon carbide of the 4H or 6H type, can be used toconstruct a UV-sensitive photodetector according to this invention. Itwill be appreciated that, in addition to silicon carbide, GaAs, InGaN,GaN, and other materials used to make photodetectors can be usedconsistent with this invention.

In another embodiment, photodetector 80 is positioned such that theportion of detected light is a portion of visible light emitted from oneor more luminescent elements. In this case, the photodetector includes adetector that detects the intensity of visible light.

Consistent with this invention, detector 80 can be used to performillumination calibration procedures. Calibration can include, forexample, supplying a known amount of power to one or more light sources,measuring one or more intensities of light, and adjusting the powersupplied to the one or more light sources. Each light intensity can bemeasured optically or electronically. There are a number of opticalmeasurement techniques that may involve the use of an ultraviolet orvisible photodetector. The adjustment of the power supply can involveincreasing or decreasing the power supplied to the light source untilthe measured light intensity reaches a desired level. That level may befixed or variable.

For example, a variable level can be used to accommodate for decreasingor uneven LED or luminescent conversion efficiencies. The term “uneven”refers to varying performance efficiencies by different displayelements. Similarly, luminescent materials normally experiencedecreasing conversion efficiencies when exposed to ultraviolet light foran extended period of time. Also, ultraviolet LEDs can emit less lightover extended periods. It will be appreciated that calibration accordingto this invention can be performed before, during, or after regularoperating sessions. It will also be appreciated that optical calibrationaccording to this invention measures, in some fashion, a light intensityat a known electrical power supply level.

Electrical calibration is also consistent with this invention bymonitoring, for example, an electrical resistance or the electricalcurrent supplied to one or more of the light sources. In this case, theintensity of ultraviolet or visible light can be inferred from theelectrical measurement. Controller circuit 90 can be, for example, avoltage controller or a current controller. Preferably, controllercircuit 90 includes an auto-zeroing feature that minimizes dark currentwhen a shutter is closed.

Cooling plenum (not shown) can be in thermal communication with any orall heat generating components, including especially light source 15.The plenum normally includes a cooling material, such as a gas or fluid,and can include a circulation motor for circulating the air or fluid.

Display element 10 can also include one or more filters. Protectivefilter 98 can be placed on a viewer side of luminescent elements 45 and50 to remove potentially harmful ultraviolet radiation that may passthrough luminescent elements 45 and 50. Thus, such light could includewavelengths that correspond to energies that are greater than about 2eV. Filter 98 can be a coating disposed directly on luminescent elements45 and 50 or on another filter, such as a wavelength stabilizing filter99, which is discussed below. Alternatively, filters 98 can be discretefrom liquid crystal device 25 in the form, for example, of a plate (notshown).

Optical stabilizing filter 99 is also placed on the viewer side ofluminescent elements 45 and 50 and transmits a portion of the visiblelight generated by those elements. The purpose of stabilizing filter 99is to compensate for the wavelength dependent effects that normallyaccompany long operating lifetimes. Thus, a luminescent element can havea dominant visible wavelength that changes with time and stabilizingfilter 99 ensures that only the desired (e.g., calibrated) wavelengthspass through to a viewer. Like protective filter 98, stabilizing filter99 can be a coating disposed directly on luminescent elements 45 and 50or on another filter, such as protective filter 98, which is discussedbelow. Alternatively, stabilizing filter 99 can also be discrete.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a display device 100 that can be builtconsistent with this invention. Display device 100 can include aplurality of light sources 105, each of which emits ultraviolet light, aplurality of independently controllable shutters 110, a screen 115between light sources 105 and shutters 110, a plurality of luminescentelements 120, and a regulated power supply 125 for supplying power tolight sources 105. As described above, each of luminescent elements 120can absorb at least some of the ultraviolet light and convert it tovisible light. In one embodiment, luminescent elements 120 can beoptically aligned with shutters 110. When plurality of independentlycontrollable shutters 110 includes liquid crystals, then shuttercontroller 160 can be used to apply appropriate electric field acrosseach of shutters 110 to open and close individual shutters or groups ofshutters, as required.

As described more fully below, each of light sources 105 can be anultraviolet light emitting diode that uses a material having a wide bandgap (e.g., a band gap that is greater than about 2.0 eV). As shown inFIG. 2, each of light sources 105 can be surface mounted tosubstantially planar or curved structure 107 (e.g., electronic board).Alternatively, each of light sources 105 can be integrated in such astructure.

In one embodiment, each of light sources 105 can be arranged in asubstantially two-dimensional array. Power supply 125 can supplyelectrical power to each of light sources 105 such that each of shutters110 has substantially the same amount of ultraviolet light incident onit. Although FIG. 2 only shows power supply 125 having one output 126for all light sources, it will be appreciated that supply 125 can havemultiple outputs to supply different power levels to light sources 105individually, or in groups. In this way, power management schemes can beused to periodically or continually adjust the amount of electricalpower supplied to each of light sources 105. For example, power suppliedto one or more of light sources 105 can be increased upon failure ofanother of light sources 105. More generally, the power supplied to eachof light sources 105 can be regulated such that:$I_{total} = {\sum\limits_{i = 1}^{k}I_{i}}$where I_(i) is the intensity of light incident on a particular shutteremitted by a contributing light source i, I_(total) is the totalintensity of light incident on the shutter, and k is the number of lightsources that contribute to the incident light on the shutter. In oneembodiment, the electrical power levels supplied to the light sourcesare adjusted such that every shutter has the same total incidentultraviolet light intensity. In another embodiment, the electrical powerlevels supplied to the light sources are adjusted such that everyluminescent element generates the same intensity of visible light whenits respective shutter is opened.

Thus, if one or more of the light sources generates less than a desiredintensity, the power supplied to one or more different light sources canbe increased. In this way, for a particular set of light source powerlevels, substantially the same amount of ultraviolet light can beincident on each of shutters 110, or the same amount of visible lightcan be generated by each luminescent element when a shutter is open. Inone embodiment, optimization routines can be periodically or continuallyperformed to ensure substantially uniform illumination over each ofshutters 110.

The provision of one or more high resolution, highly aligned digitalcameras at each display site, for example the camera or cameras utilizedin digital camera and traffic count recorder 320 (FIG. 3), or otherspecifically dedicated cameras, provides a means permitting in situdiagnostics and calibration of the displays. As known in the art,certain digital cameras have a resolution of over 7,000,000 pixels—ascompared to approximately 172,000 pixels on the above-described 23×33½ft. display. Thus, by directing a digital camera at a display, ordirecting multiple digital cameras at different discrete portions of adisplay, a correspondence can be attained where a portion of eachdigital camera's image corresponds to a single pixel or group of pixelsin the display. Suitable means for aligning the digital camera with thedisplay can be used, including optical means, such as laser alignmentmarks.

In another embodiment, multiple digital cameras can correspond to thesame portion of a display (or the entire display). In this case, theimages generated by those cameras can be compared and used to improvethe accuracy and precision of the diagnostic and calibration procedures.

At selected times set aside for diagnostics and calibration, such as afive minute period each night, the entire display or portions thereofcan be run red, then green, then blue, followed by white, all atmultiple power levels. In order to reduce interference, the LEDs can beswitched on individually for a short period, for example one millisecondeach. In the most basic diagnostic operation carried out when thedisplay is run red/green/blue, the camera(s), mounted at a selecteddistance from the display such as sixty feet away, are capable ofdetecting nonfunctioning or excessively degraded LEDs for replacement.

Beyond replacing defective LEDs, each night the system may automaticallyre-calibrate all LEDs in the display, as described above. To this end,the display is run red/green/blue at several iterative power levels(e.g., 20%/40%/60%/80%/100%) and the optical power output of each LED issensed for each power level, with the goal being to calibrate the systemso that each red, green or blue LED has the same optical power output ateach power level as do the other LEDs of the same color. Electroniccalibration is also possible according to this invention. Calibrationpreferably is achieved by diode recalibration scalar software (e.g.,look up table) that can be associated with a scalar (not shown) thatacts independently in conjunction with the video converter/scalar at 280(FIG. 4).

Diode recalibration scalar can receive information from the diagnosticequipment indicating the optical power output of each LED at the varioussupplied power levels and, through an associated automatic calibrationLED look-up table, accounts for daily variance in LED output(degradation or increase) by adjusting the power curve by which the LEDwill be driven the next day. This periodic (e.g. daily) in siturecalibration has the benefit of greatly reducing on site maintenancesince LEDs that have degraded can be run harder to compensate for thedegradation (see above), eliminating the need for frequent replacement.

As an alternative to using digital cameras for the diagnostic andcalibration function, miniature photodetector chips, with or withoutband pass filters, may be located in close proximity to each LED in thedisplay for measuring LED light output during diagnostic/calibrationoperations.

As another alternative, a programmable chip may be located at each pixelso that each individual chip can be reprogrammed as necessary duringeach calibration sequence to raise or lower the effective light outputof the LEDs contained in the pixel.

As an alternative to performing daily in situ calibration by looking atevery pixel in sequence and adjusting the scaling value for each pixel,a statistical modeling approach may be used. According to this approach,selected LEDs or groups of LEDs may be run in iterative power cycles inorder to optimize the overall screen color through statistical analysisto provide a new scaling value for each LED or group of LEDs.

When the diagnostic operation operates with an all white display, thethree LEDs at each pixel may be evaluated individually and collectivelyto assure that the pixel is contributing the proper spectrum and amountof white light. Through a diagnostic/calibration software package thatinterrelates output and dominant wavelength response for eachred/green/blue LED at a pixel to the desired white light response, aniterative calibration may be undertaken at each pixel to adjust thevalues contained in the diode recalibration scalar software or toreprogram programmable logic chips that determine the drive current foreach LED located in a specific pixel.

Calibration can involve comparing feedback measurements for a singledisplay element, a single portion of a display screen, or the entiredisplay screen. Thus, as mentioned above, a comparison can involve acomparison between one or more feedback measurements and one or morebaselines. In another embodiment, one can make multiple feedbackmeasurements of the same element, portion, or display, and performancetrends can be identified for making predictions regarding remaininglight source lifetimes.

Alternatively, calibration can involve comparing feedback measurementsfor different portions of a display screen. For example, if a displayscreen is divided into four portions, a measurement can be made for eachof the portions. If one of the portions has an illumination that is lessthan the other portions, the power supplied to the under performinglight sources that contribute to that portion can be increased. If thepower level can not be increased (e.g., when the power is alreadymaximized), the power supplied to the other portions can be reduced,such that the illumination of each portion is substantially the same.

When calibrated, light sources 105 can emit desired ultraviolet lightintensities on shutters 110. Each of shutters 110 can include a liquidcrystal that has a variable field-dependent transmissivity atultraviolet wavelengths. In one embodiment, the plurality of shutterscan include at least three shutters and the plurality of luminescentelements can include at least three luminescent elements that luminesceat different colors when the ultraviolet light is incident in anotherembodiment, the plurality of shutters can include multiple sets 112 ofshutters 110 and luminescent elements 120, wherein each of sets 112includes at least three shutters 110 and corresponding luminescentelements 120, wherein each set of luminescent elements 120 includes atleast three luminescent elements that luminesce at different colors.

Screen 115 (shown in FIG. 2) performs the same function as screeningelement 40 of FIG. 1—namely, screen 115 diffuses ultraviolet lightbefore it is incident on shutters 110 and may collimate and direct theultraviolet light toward the shutters. Luminescent elements 120 can bedisposed directly on the viewer's side of shutters 110 and in mostrespects are like luminescent elements 45 and 50 shown in FIG. 1.Luminescent elements 120 can also be disposed on the light-source sideof shutters 110, but such an arrangement would reduce the lifetimes ofthe luminescent elements because those elements would be continuouslyexposed to the ultraviolet light, even when those elements are not inuse.

Regulated power supply 125 can include a power source 135 and aregulation circuit 140 coupled to a power source 135 and light sources105. Regulation circuit 140 can include one or more photodetectors 108,a comparator circuit 145, and an LED controller 150. As shown,photodetectors 108 detect portions of ultraviolet light emitted from atleast one of light sources 105 and generates first signals that areindicative of intensities of the portions of the ultraviolet light. Itwill be appreciated, however, that photodetectors can also be positionedon the viewer's side of luminescent elements 120 to detect visible lightconverted by luminescent elements 120. Also, as discussed more fullyabove, digital cameras can be used to monitor light intensities.

Comparator circuit 145 includes at least one input for receiving thefirst signals. Circuit 145 compares the first signals with at least onebaseline signal and generates second signals that are proportional tothe difference between the first signals and the at least one baselinesignal. It will be appreciated that although FIG. 2 only shows a singleinput from all of photodetectors 108 for illustrative clarity, each ofphotodetectors 108 preferably has a separate line that supplies thecorresponding first signals to comparator circuit 145. It will also beappreciated that circuit 145 can include multiple comparatorsubcircuits, each of which performs a separate comparison for each ofthe first signals. These subcircuits can be either centralized ordistributed and adjacent each of photodetectors 108. Finally, eachcomparison can use a common baseline signal or a different base linesignal, depending on the particular geometry, number, and type ofcontributing light sources.

As discussed above with respect to display element 10, photodetectors108 of display device 100 can be positioned such that the portion ofdetected light is a portion reflected from screening element 115. Inanother embodiment, each of photodetectors 108 can be positioned suchthat the portion of detected light reflects from some other element,such as a small mirror placed in front of light source 105. In either ofthese cases, each of photodetectors 108 includes a detector that detectsthe intensity of the ultraviolet light. In another embodiment,photodetectors 108 can be positioned such that the portions of detectedlight are portion of visible light emitted from one or more luminescentelements. As discussed herein, these detectors can be used to performillumination calibration procedures, if desired.

LED controller 150 distributes power to each of light sources 105. LEDcontroller 150 can illuminate light sources 105 simultaneously orsequentially. Simultaneous illumination of light sources 105 allows eachparticipating light source to operate at a reduced power because two ormore sources can share the burden of illuminating one or moreluminescent elements 120. Sequential illumination of light sources 105can be used to minimize the amount of time that each light source isactive. In both cases, light source longevity can be extended, dependingon the characteristics of the light sources themselves.

Accordingly, consistent with another aspect of the current invention, amethod for managing power to an ultraviolet-stimulated display device isprovided. The display device can include multiple ultraviolet lightsources, multiple independently controllable shutters, a luminescentelement optically aligned with each of the shutters, and a regulatedpower supply for supplying power to the light source. As describedabove, a screen can be located between the light source and the liquidcrystal device. The method includes receiving information thatidentifies a set of luminescent elements, determining which of the lightsources should be powered to illuminate the identified luminescentelements during a period of time, and distributing power to thedetermined light sources during that period of time. This sequence canbe repeated many times according to a stream of information, such as avideo signal.

The step of receiving information can involve receiving a set of desiredvisible light intensities (e.g. intensity information) for each of theidentified luminescent elements. The step of determining can include,for example, determining a set of power levels for each of the lightsources and/or determining a set of shutter openings for each of theshutters corresponding with the set of identified luminescent elements.The step of determining can also include determining a powerdistribution scheme that could distribute power to the appropriate lightsources simultaneously or sequentially. Alternatively, a single schemecould involve distributing power to one portion of the screen in asimultaneous manner and another portion of the screen in a sequentialmanner.

If a sequential power distribution scheme is desired, the power levelsupplied to a first light source can be different from the power levelsupplied to a second light source during a relevant period of time, eventhough both light sources could illuminate the same luminescent element.For example, rather than powering two light sources simultaneously,power could be supplied to a first light source during the first periodand a second light source during the second period, where the sum ofboth the first and second periods is less than about 1/30^(th) of asecond. This type of illumination scheme could involve supplying powerto two light sources in an alternating fashion or supplying power tothree or more light sources in a cyclical fashion.

Another way to extend light source longevity is to coordinate LEDcontroller 150 and shutter controller 160. By coordinating controllers150 and 160, LED controller 150 only needs to supply power to a limitednumber of light sources 105 when those sources are needed to illuminatecertain identified shutters. For example, if a portion of a displayscreen is programmed to be dark (i.e., off), then the light sources thatsupply ultraviolet light to that portion, as well as the shuttersassociated with that portion, can be turned off. By selectively turninglight sources off when they are not needed, their useful lifetimes areincreased. It will be further appreciated that a master controller 170can be used to coordinate LED controller 150 and shutter controller 160.In an alternative embodiment, LED controller 150 and shutter controller160 can be connected directly together. In this case, shutter controller160 can supply LED controller 150 the information it needs to determinewhich light sources should be turned off.

Also, device 100 can include a cooling plenum that can be in thermalcommunication with any or all heat generating components, includingespecially light sources 105. The plenum can include a cooling material,such as a gas or fluid, and can include a circulation motor forcirculating the air or fluid.

Like display element 10, display device 100 can include one or morefilters 130. For example, a protective filter can be placed on a viewerside of luminescent elements 120 to remove potentially harmfulultraviolet radiation that may pass through the luminescent elements.Filter 130 can be a coating disposed directly on luminescent elements120 (as shown) or it can be disposed on another filter, such as awavelength stabilizing filter, as discussed above. Alternatively,filters 130 can be separate from luminescent elements 120, that is a gapmay be formed between filters 130 and luminescent elements 120.

In addition to using ultraviolet-stimulated electroluminescent elements,a display device can be constructed that includes multiple LEDs thatemit the same color (or different colors) for one pixel location toproduce the desired light output. For example, three 1.5 milliwatt blueLEDs can be used to produce a 4.5 milliwatt blue light output. In oneembodiment, each red, green, and blue emitter can be accessed with a 24bit resolution, which provides 16.7 million colors for every pixel. Asused herein, the term “pixel” refers to the smallest variable-colorelement of a display device. That is, a pixel is the basic logical unitof programmable color on a display device. Thus, the greater the numberof pixels per unit length or area, the greater the resolution of thedisplay.

An overall display of 23 feet by 33½ feet, so constructed, has a highspatial resolution defined by approximately 172,000 pixels at an opticalpower that is easily viewable in bright sunlight. Suitable displaymodules for displays 30 are under sold under model No. LV50 byLighthouse Technologies of Hong Kong, China that use, for blue and greenlight, InGaN LEDs fabricated on single crystalline Al₂O₃ (sapphire)substrates with a suitable buffer layer, such as AlN. For red light,super bright AlInGaP LEDs fabricated on a suitable substrate such asGaP, can be used.

Such a panel display device can have a useful life in excess of 50,000hours, for example, which may still be less than the 150,000 hours ormore contemplated for use in network 200. To increase panels' usefullifetimes, panels can be cooled from the back of the displays,preferably via a cooling plenum (e.g., plenum 91 of FIG. 1 and plenum109 of FIG. 2), that may be a refrigerant-based, air conditioning system(not shown), such as a forced air system or a thermal convection orconduction system. Non refrigerant-based options may be used inlocations where they produce satisfactory cooling. Displays consistentwith this invention preferably include a wide viewing angle, forexample, 160 degrees.

Although displays sold by Lighthouse Technologies use InGaN on sapphireand AlInGaP on GaP LEDs (which are described herein, as well as InGaN onSiC), other materials may also be used to make the LEDs as follows:

1. (Blue/green) InGaN on SiC, preferably with a suitable buffer layersuch as AlN

2. (Blue/green) InGaN on GaN

3. (Blue/green) InGaN on AlN, preferably with a suitable buffer layersuch as AlN.

4. (Blue/green) AlN or AlN-containing compound on AlN, sapphire or SIC.

It will be appreciated that the InGaN/sapphire combination and othersolid state LED combinations described above can have substrates withhigh optical transmissivity and produce high optical powers. Theseproperties can be important for a number of reasons, including providingelectronic display designers the ability to create very wide viewingangles up to approximately 160 degrees, and increasing displayvisibility for viewers in oncoming traffic.

Illustrative examples of metal-activated phosphors that can be usedconsistent with this invention are provided below. Examples of metalactivated phosphors that emit green light include: ZnCdS:Ag, ZnS:Cu,Al,and Zn₂SiO₄:Mn, all of which emit light between about 520 nm and about560 nm. An example of a metal-activated phosphor that emits blue lightis ZnS:Ag, which has an emission peak at about 460 nm.

Display of Commercial Advertising and Other Content

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of system 200 for direct placement ofcommercial advertisements, public service announcements and othercontent on electronic displays. System 200 includes a network comprisinga plurality of electronic displays 230 that that can be located in hightraffic areas in various geographic locations. The displays may belocated in areas of high vehicular traffic, and also at indoor andoutdoor locations of high pedestrian traffic, as well as in movietheaters, restaurants, sports arenas, casinos or other suitablelocations. Thousands of displays, up to 10,000 or more displaysworldwide, may be networked according to the present invention. In oneembodiment, each display is a large (e.g., 23 feet by 33½ feet), highresolution, full color display that provides brilliant light emissionfrom a flat panel screen, such as a display device described aboveconsistent with this invention.

A customer of system 200, such as an in-house content provider or anagent of a consumer products company, may access a central informationprocessing station of the system via the Internet through customerinterface web server 240. Server 240 may have a commerce engine andpermit the customer to obtain and enter security code and billing codeinformation into network security router/access module 250.Alternatively, high usage customers of the system may utilize a customerinterface comprising a high speed dedicated connection to module 250.

Following access, the customer can review options concerning his orderby reviewing available advertising time/locations through reviewschedule and purchase time module 260, which permits the customer to seewhat time is available on any display in a geographical region (e.g.,throughout the world) and thereafter schedule and purchase the desiredadvertising time slot. Next, the customer transmits the advertisingcontent on-line through the Internet, a direct phone line, or a highspeed connection (for example, ISDN, or other suitable high speedinformation transfer line) for receipt by video & still image review andinput module 270. In parallel, the system operator may provide publicservice announcements and other content to module 270. The content,whether still image or video, can be formatted in NTSC, PAL, SECAM, YUV,YC, VGA or any other suitable format. In one preferred embodiment, theformat is VGA, while all other formats, including but not limited toNTSC, PAL and SECAM, can be run through the video converter 280.

Video & still image review and input module 270 can permit a systemsecurity employee to conduct a content review to assure that all contentmeets the security and appropriateness standards established by thesystem, prior to the content being read to server 300 associated witheach of displays 230 where the content being transmitted to server 300can be displayed. Preferably, servers 300 are located at theirrespective displays and each can have a backup. An example of a suitableserver that can be used consistent with this invention is sold undermodel number RS/6000, available from International Business MachinesCorporation, of Armonk, N.Y. It will also be appreciated that one ofservers 300 can be associated with point-of-purchase display 223,although it will be appreciated that electronic point-of-purchasedisplay device 223 and its associated server are optional.

The means for transmitting content information to the display locationsmay take a number of forms, with it being understood that any form, orcombination thereof, may be utilized at various locations within thenetwork. As shown in FIG. 3, the means can include a high speed cable, asatellite, a dedicated phone, a high speed line (e.g., ISDN, ADSL), acellular network, PCS or other data transmission at availablefrequencies, an Internet connection, a radio/radio pulse transmission, ahigh speed optical fiber, and a physical delivery of digitally storedinformation medium.

The video converter/scalar and video controller functions provided bymodule 280 may be utilized in connection with servers 300 and associateddisplays 230 that require them, according to data transmission andrequired reformatting practices well known in the art.

Verification that advertisements do, in fact, run at the intended timeat the intended displays may be provided by an information storagemodule (not shown) linked to each display. Another form of verificationmay be achieved by digital camera and traffic count recorder 320 thatcontinuously records the content appearing at its respective display 230and digitally transmits video verification information to verificationarchives module 350. Recorder 320 also provides traffic countinformation (for example, 225 vehicles passed the display while anadvertisement ran) to verification archives module 350.

Information from verification archives module 350 can be used bydemographic analysis module 360 and market analysis module 370 togenerate information for reports for customers after advertising. Thus,analysis data from modules 360 and 370 can be transmitted to billing andreport generation module 390 where reports are assembled showing, forexample, the time of the advertisement, the content of theadvertisement, the traffic count and residence/median income informationabout those who saw the advertisement.

A representative, simplified report for an advertisement provided to asingle display is shown in FIG. 5. A representative, simplified reportfor an advertisement provided to multiple displays (e.g., 100 displays)is shown in FIG. 6:

Module 390 can also produce bills that may be transmitted by phone linesfor a debit payment such as a direct bank draft, or other suitablepayment mode.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of one preferred form for electronicdisplay device 230 of FIG. 3. In this embodiment, display 230 takes theform of a 23 feet by 33½ feet seamless flat screen display includingmultiple flat panel display modules. The panels can use advancedsemiconductor technology, as described above, to provide highresolution, full color images that use LEDs capable of emitting a highoptical power (about 1.5-10 milliwatts, or greater) that are aligned inan integrated array with each pixel having a red, green and blue LED.

It will be appreciated that split screen images may be displayed ondisplays 230. In a simple application, a still image advertisement canbe one half corporate logo and one half scenery. Beyond thisapplication, split screen capability can be used to present a portion ofthe image as a corporate logo, or the like, and the remainder eitherreal time (or near real time) video or still frame. For example, apreviously qualified customer with acceptable internal content reviewprocedures may have direct access to a display or displays for thepurpose of displaying a real time (or near real time) sports event, newsevent, or the like, in conjunction with the customer's corporate logo.This display may be achieved by utilizing high speed servers 300 or bybypassing the servers altogether. High speed still image or videotransfer may be facilitated by compression techniques such as JPEG andMPEG II, known in the art.

While advertising scheduling and purchasing may take place as describedabove where customers directly purchase time from available slotsaccording to a fixed fee schedule, it will be appreciated thatalternative modes may be used. For example, an auction system, such asthe one offered by eBay Inc., of San Jose, Calif. may be used where allpreviously purchased slots and all unsold slots are auctioned through abid process (a “total” auction). Additionally, a limited auction can beused where time may be purchased and booked for a set price, but alltime not purchased at the set price becomes available through auction ata fixed time before the run time, for example, one month before runtime.

As another alternative for a portion of the available time slots, a highusage customer may establish a monthly advertising budget with thesystem operator that authorizes the operator to select the time slotsfor display of the customer's advertisements at “best available rate”pricing. This could take advantage of last minute availability of timeslots and other time slot placement techniques that enable the operatorto more completely utilize the network. These or similar time slotplacement practices when used for a portion of the available time slotscan be implemented by a software package that takes into account theneeds of both the customer and the system operator.

It will be appreciated that advertising content information may betransmitted to the electronic display device locations by physicallydelivering a suitable information storage device such as CD ROM, zipdrive, DVD ROM or DVD RAM. This approach may be utilized to transmitinformation to displays at any desired location, for example, to remotelocations, to movie theaters, etc.

Distribution of Movies in Digital Form to Movie Theaters

FIG. 7 shows a block diagram of illustrative system 420 for distributionof movie content in digital form to movie theaters. System 420 includesa network connecting plurality of electronic movie display devices 430,which may be located in movie theaters of customers of system 420. Themovie theaters may be “single screen” theaters, which have only onedisplay device 430, such as small art houses. The theaters may also besmaller theaters with only two or three screens up to largemega-theaters having twenty or more display devices 430. Electronicmovie display devices 430 may take several forms, each of which is fullycapable of displaying movies to an audience of 50-100 or moremoviegoers. Various types of display devices 430 are described below.

A customer of system 420, which may be a responsible party representingthe movie theater and referred to herein as a movie theater operator,may access a central information processing station of the system viathe Internet through customer interface web server 440. Web server 440can have a commerce engine and permit customers to obtain and entersecurity code and billing code information into network securityrouter/access module 450. Alternatively, high usage customers of thesystem may utilize a customer interface comprising a high speeddedicated connection to module 450. Following access, the customerreviews options concerning his order by reviewing available moviesthrough review available movies and purchase module 460 that permits thecustomer to see what movies are available, and thereafter schedule andpurchase a movie for display utilizing one or more display devices 430.

Following scheduling and purchasing, the customer-ordered movie istransmitted to server 400, which can be associated with the customersmovie theater. In one embodiment, servers are located at respectivedisplays 430 and each can have a backup. An example of a suitable serveris the IBM RS/6000 server.

Means for transmitting digital movie content to the movie theaters cantake a number of forms, with it being understood that any form, orcombination thereof, can be used at various communication links of thenetwork. In one embodiment consistent with this invention associatedwith the distribution of digital movies, a satellite uplink/downlinksystem can be used to transmit high speed, compressed, non-real timedata on a plurality of channels. Each movie theater is in communicationvia a satellite downlink and has a decoder and a computer-based datastorage device.

For example, a satellite may dedicate 100 channels to the continuoustransmission of movies in non-real time, for example 3× real timetransmission rates, so that approximately 4000 movies per day can betransmitted and are available for movie theater reception. The server(e.g., a storage device), which may be located at each movie theater, isprogrammed at the time the theater owner places an order for a movie toreceive and store the particular movie when it is transmitted so that itcan be available for screening at the theater at the desired time.

In addition to the above described satellite transmission system, othertransmission systems (for example, those shown in FIG. 3) may be usedeither with real time or non-real time transmission. Thus, using aproprietary network of the present invention, a movie theater operatorcan schedule over the Internet the movies that operator wants to receiveto his or her server(s).

Movie input 470 can be any source of digital movie content, such as aserver, a combination of servers, or a connection to an off-site storagedevice. Input 470 can be programmed to provide movie content to servers400 upon receipt, for example, of purchasing information from module460. Verification unit 455 verifies that movie content is either beingprovided or has been provided to devices 430. Upon verification, billingand royalty report generation module 490 can be used to perform variousministerial bookkeeping and accounting functions, including thegeneration of billing and royalty reports.

Movies can be encoded so that they only play on a proprietary operatingsystem. The operating system preferably has a modem that can be queriedby the system's billing system on a periodic basis to bill the account.By continuously or periodically providing significant content throughthe satellite transmission system, movie producers, or other contentowners, always have their content available for sale. Because the systemcan include its own receiver, server, and proprietary software systemthat supports the digital display (e.g., a digital projection unit), theencoded content transmitted to each theater can be protected frompiracy.

In addition to the transmission techniques described above, it will beappreciated that the system may operate utilizing a “platter” of CD-ROM,DVD-RAM, DVD-ROM, tapes, or the like, on site at each server that isassociated with each display device 430.

As stated above, any suitable type of digital movie display device canbe used in movie theaters that are customers of system 420. Examplesinclude:

1. A large, seamless, substantially flat screen LED display devicehaving relatively low power LEDs suitable for low ambient lightconditions of a movie theater.

2. A high resolution, full color display device utilizing high powerLEDs providing a light source for an LCD shutter-type screen asdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,062, which is incorporated by referenceherein.

3. A projection system based on digital light processing (“DLP™”)technology developed by Texas Instruments Incorporated, of Dallas, Tex.Complete electronic movie display systems utilizing the DLP™ technologyare sold by various manufacturers, including Runco International ofHayward, Calif., which sells, for example, those sold under thetrademark Reflection™ DLP™ projection systems, including model No. VX7.

4. A digital, flat panel, full color movie screen using reflective LCDtechnology developed, for example, by Hughes/JVC and ReflectiveTechnology Industries Limited, of Winsford, Cheshire.

DLP® technology is a digital display solution that is particularlywell-suited for large display devices. During operation, a light sourceemits white light that passes through a color wheel as it travels to thesurface of a panel of micro-mirrors. Typically, the panel includeshundreds of thousands of separately addressable micro-mirrors that arespaced less than one micron apart, resulting in a 90% fill factor. Thecolor wheel filters (i.e., prism) the light into red, green, and blue,from which a single-chip DLP™ projection system can create millionscolors.

A DLP™ system is known to provide exceptional brightness that increaseswith resolution, and is less susceptible to degradation compared withmany other large screen display solutions. Nonetheless, conventionalDLP™ projection systems generally use inefficient, and therefore veryhot, arc lamps to generate light and such lamps have limited lifetimesand must be replaced regularly. Moreover, the output spectrum of such alamp tends to shift and weaken over time. Furthermore, the hightemperatures that normally occur during operation of DLP™ systems alsotend to degrade the micro-mirror panel.

Thus, consistent with another aspect of this invention, a DLP™projection system is provided that includes a solid-state light source.The light source can be made using an ultraviolet-stimulated phosphorcompound that emits substantially white light. Alternatively, the lightsource can be made using multiple ultraviolet-stimulated phosphorcompounds that emit different colors over a period of time but whenmixed form substantially white light. In another embodiment, thesolid-state light source can include three separate groups ofsemiconductor light emitting diodes that each emits the desired dominantand peak wavelength. These devices can optionally be combined with afourth UV-stimuateld device, to form a single white light source. Thesesemiconductor devices can employ materials such as pigments and dyes inplastic to effectively provide a cutoff filter or more commonly abandpass filter to regulate the spectral distribution of light.

In any case, the composite of the individual light sources can beformulated to mimic the human biological responsivity to visible lightfor a given ambient light condition. The term “condition” can refer tothe spectral distribution of optical power versus wavelength. Forexample, at high ambient light conditions where the eye is lessresponsive (i.e., exhibits high biological responsivity) to blue light,more blue light can be added to provide a proper color relative to abaseline image that may have been produced under lower ambient lightingconditions.

Furthermore, systems consistent with this invention can incorporate oneor more photodetecting devices and/or filters for monitoring ambientconditions. In one embodiment, the devices can form one or moresolid-state spectrophotometers located in the viewing area to providefeedback for adjusting the projection system and the display generally.Thus, in first step, a measurement of the viewing room's ambient lightlevel can be made. Then, based on that measurement, a look-up table orother baseline information can be used to determine an appropriatenormalization curve for the projection system. Once the curve has beenidentified, the light source output spectrum can be appropriatelyadjusted to optimize the projected image and to obtain a more accuratecolor composition, which may measured against a predetermined standard.The advantage of this normalization method is that accurate colorcompositions and brightness levels can be achieved in any room,regardless of its ambient light.

Moreover, such projection systems is provided that includesmicro-mirrors made from materials that are tolerant of high temperaturesand exhibit minimal degradation after extended exposure to hightemperatures. Wide energy band gap materials having gaps are especiallyuseful for this purpose, although appropriately doped relatively narrowband gap materials can also be used. For example, high-temperatureversions of silicon that are appropriately doped to operate repeatedlyat high temperatures could be used. Also, 6H SiC, 4H SiC, SiO, GaN-basedalloys, AlN-based alloys, GaAs-based alloys (but these may not bepreferably due to lower thermal conductivity), InP-based alloys, andeven diamond-based alloys. These can be grown using homo-epitaxial orhetero-epitaxial methods, with or without an appropriate buffer layer.

FIG. 8 shows another illustrative system 500 consistent with thisinvention. System 500 is similar to system 200, except that system 500includes movie-related equipment. Thus, system 500 can include aplurality of electronic displays 530, customer interface web server 540,network security router/access module 550, review schedule and purchasetime module 560, video & still image review and input module 570, videoconverter 580, servers 600, digital camera and traffic count recorders520, verification archives module 650, demographic analysis module 660,market analysis module 670, and report generation module 690.

In addition to these network elements, electronic movie display device532 can be used as a movie screen in a digital movie theater. Video &still image review and input module 570 can transmit advertising content(such as movie-related advertising content) to displays 530 in themanner described above in connection with the embodiment shown in FIG. 3and transmit movie content in a digital format to electronic moviedisplay device 532, which may be located at a movie theater, via server602.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show additional embodiments of the invention in whichelectronic display devices (e.g., devices 230 and 430) in the form ofelectronic billboards adjacent roadways are used in conjunction withpoint-of-purchase display units 223 located in, for example, retailstores. According to this embodiment, an advertiser, such as a chain ofretail stores, can place advertisements on selected roadside displaydevices (e.g., devices 230 and 430), optionally at particular geographiclocations or within a particular geographical region, to informpotential consumers of special values or promotional items at one ormore places of business of the advertisers.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, an advertiser, such as “HomeBuilding Depot,” can place advertisements through system 200 at selectedtimes and at selected locations, such as on any number ofroadway-adjacent electronic display devices 231 (one device shown). Theadvertisement can, for example, inform consumers that certain items areon sale at the company's area stores. As shown in FIG. 9, variousproducts and daily values can be listed on display device 231: 2×4's are$5.00, grass seed in fifty-pound bags is $30.00, a Toro riding lawnmower is $800.00, etc.

The advertisement at roadway-adjacent display device can also providethe location(s) of the company's local stores by street address, by maplocation, or both. In conjunction with this highway-adjacent billboardadvertising method, the advertiser, Home Building Depot, can usepoint-of-purchase display devices at the local stores that tie into thebillboard advertisement. For example, such a tie can be made byrepeating the special sale items and prices and directing the customersto the store aisles where the particular products can be found. In oneembodiment, point-of-purchase display device 223 can take the form of anelectronic display device (e.g., as described above), or electronic inkdisplay devices sold under the trademark IMMEDIA™ by E-Ink Corporationof Cambridge, Mass.

Electronic ink display devices can hold text for an extended period oftime without consuming power and the message can be changed virtuallyinstantly to a new message. In some embodiments, the format and contentof display device 223 (electronic or otherwise) can be controlled byeach store (i.e., system customer) without direct input from the otherstores or the company's headquarters, other than to assure that thepoint-of-purchase displays 223 are coordinated with the company'sroadway advertisements implemented through system 200, as shown in FIG.10.

In another embodiment, the format and content of displays 223 can becontrolled by the same person(s) who places the roadside billboardadvertisements through system 200. For example, coordination of contentbetween roadway-adjacent displays 230 and point-of-purchase displaydevice 223 or electronic movie display device 532 can be achieved byusing such display devices that have a format and display content thatis controlled through a network from a personal computer. This controlcan be achieved through system 200 (or system 500), in which casedevices 223 or display device 532 can be part of the network ofelectronic display devices (e.g., FIGS. 3 and 8), with data transmissionbeing carried out as described above.

In this regard, because of the small amount of information needed forcommunicating a simple message for certain types of electronicpoint-of-purchase display devices 223, satellite paging communicationssystems can be used to transmit data to display devices 223.Alternatively, each retailer that uses system 200 for its roadside signadvertising may connect display devices 223 through the Internet, aprivate intranet, or any other suitable means.

Thus it is seen that display devices, as well as display elements foruse in display devices, are provided. A display element can include afirst light source that emits ultraviolet light, a liquid crystal devicehaving a plurality of independently controllable (i.e., addressable)shutters, and a plurality of luminescent elements optically aligned witheach of the shutters, wherein each of the luminescent elements absorbsat least some of the ultraviolet light and converts it to visible light.The display element can also include a screening element between thelight source and the liquid crystal device,

More generally, a system is provided that permits video or still imagecontent to be displayed on networked electronic display devices withgeographical and temporal restrictions.

One skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can bepracticed by other than the described embodiments, which are presentedfor purposes of illustration and not of limitation. For example,roadside or other electronic displays 230 can take any suitable formthat provides the resolution, brightness and other image propertiesnecessary for a particular application, such as the use of theabove-mentioned electronic ink displays. The present invention islimited only by the claims which follow.

1.-65. (canceled)
 66. A system permitting video or still image contentto be displayed on selected ones of multiple electronic display devicesat selected times according to system customers, wherein the systemcomprises: a network connected to a plurality of electronic displaydevices, wherein at least one of the devices comprises: a plurality oflight sources that emits ultraviolet light, a plurality of independentlycontrollable shutters, a plurality of luminescent elements opticallyaligned with each of the shutters, wherein each of the luminescentelements absorbs at least some of the ultraviolet light and converts itto visible light, and a regulated power supply for supplying power tothe light source; and at least one central information processingstation comprising: a customer interface permitting the system customersto access the system, means for permitting the system customers toreview options concerning orders, means for permitting the systemcustomers to place an order for display of visual content on at leastone of the electronic display devices, and means for transmitting thecontent to the at least one of the electronic display devices.
 67. Thesystem of claim 66 wherein the electronic display devices are located inoutdoor or indoor high traffic areas for advertising purposes, whereinthe content comprises advertising content, and wherein the centralinformation processing station includes means for receiving advertisingcontent from the system customers.
 68. The system of claim 66 whereinthe electronic display devices are located in movie theaters, whereinthe content comprises movies in digital form, and wherein the systemcustomers comprise movie theater operators.
 69. A system for thedistribution of movie content owned by content providers and for displayof the movie content in digital movie theaters according to the dictatesof movie theater operators who are system customers, wherein the systemcomprises: a network connected to a plurality of electronic moviedisplay devices in movie theaters, wherein each of the devicescomprises: a plurality of light sources that emits ultraviolet light, aplurality of independently controllable shutters, a plurality ofluminescent elements optically aligned with each of the shutters,wherein each of the luminescent elements absorbs at least some of theultraviolet light and converts it to visible light, and a regulatedpower supply for supplying power to the light source; and at least onecentral information processing station including: a customer interfacepermitting system customers to access the system, means permitting asystem customer to review movie content available in digital form to thecustomer, means permitting the customer to schedule and purchase moviecontent for display on at least one of the electronic movie displaydevices, and means for transmitting the movie content to the customer'smovie theater location.
 70. The system of claim 69 wherein the displaydevices are selected from the group consisting of LED displays, LCDshutter-type display screens, digital light processing systems,reflective LCD display devices, and any combination thereof. 71.-80.(canceled)
 81. A method of providing networked display screens, themethod comprising: (a) providing a plurality of display screens, whereinthe plurality of display screens are in communication with a network,wherein at least one of the display screens comprises: (i) one or moreultraviolet light sources, (ii) a plurality of independentlycontrollable shutters, and (iii) a plurality of luminescent elements,wherein each of the luminescent elements is optically aligned with atleast one of the one or more light sources, wherein each of theluminescent elements is further optically aligned with a respectiveshutter of the plurality of shutters, wherein each of the luminescentelements is configured to absorb at least a portion of ultraviolet lightemitted by the at least one of the one or more light sources and convertthe absorbed portion of ultraviolet light to visible light; (b)providing at least one server, wherein the server is configured to storeadvertising content, wherein the server is in communication with thenetwork; (c) providing a customer interface, wherein the customerinterface is in communication with the network, wherein the customerinterface is configured to receive: (i) advertising content from anadvertiser, and (ii) an order to display the advertising content fromthe advertiser; (d) receiving advertising content from a firstadvertiser via the customer interface; (e) receiving an order to displaythe advertising content from the first advertiser via the customerinterface; and (f) displaying the received advertising content on atleast a portion of the plurality of display screens in accordance withthe order to display the advertising content.
 82. The method of claim81, wherein the order to display the advertising content comprises ascheduling order, wherein the scheduling order comprises a selection bythe first advertiser of one or both of display location or display timefor display of the received advertising content on at least a portion ofthe plurality of display screens.
 83. The method of claim 81, furthercomprising providing a schedule of available locations and times forvideo content to be displayed on the display screens.
 84. The method ofclaim 81, wherein the network comprises the Internet.
 85. The method ofclaim 81, further comprising storing at least a portion of the receivedadvertising content on the server.
 86. The method of claim 81, whereinthe at least one of the display screens further comprises a liquidcrystal device.
 87. The method of claim 81, wherein at least one of theone or more ultraviolet light sources comprises a light emitting diode.88. The method of claim 81, wherein at least a portion of the pluralityof shutters are positioned between the one or more ultraviolet lightsources and the plurality of luminescent elements.
 89. The method ofclaim 81, wherein at least one of the display screens comprises anelectronic billboard.
 90. The method of claim 81, wherein each displayscreen is in communication with a respective server.
 91. The method ofclaim 81, wherein the received advertising content is displayed on afirst display screen, the method further comprising capturing an imageof the first display screen while the advertising content is beingdisplayed in the first display screen to confirm proper display of theadvertising content on the first display screen.
 92. The method of claim81, wherein the customer interface is web-based.
 93. The method of claim81, wherein the act of displaying comprises transmitting the receivedadvertising content to selected display screen locations using anInternet protocol.
 94. The method of claim 81, wherein the act ofdisplaying comprises transmitting the received advertising content toselected display screen locations using wireless communications.
 95. Themethod of claim 81, wherein the act of displaying comprises implementinga transmission mechanism selected from the group consisting of highspeed cable, a satellite link, a dedicated telephony connection, ahigh-speed communications line, a cellular or PCS data transmissiondevice, the Internet, a radio or radio pulse transmission device, a highspeed optical fiber, and physical delivery of a medium storingadvertising content.